France's submissions of views are included in the submissions of the European Union

Information submitted by France

Conference on tropical forests

As a closing celebration of the International Year of Forests in France, a conference on tropical
forests took place in Paris on 11-12 January 2012. Entitled “taking stock and new challenges,
what guidance for French stakeholders?”, this conference brought together over 300
stakeholders from government, public agencies, civil society (international solidarity and
environment NGOs), the private sector (timber, retail and banking sectors) and scientific
institutions. The conference was organised in partnership between the ministries of Foreign
affairs, Sustainable development, Agriculture and Overseas territories, the French Fund for Global
Environment (FFEM), the French Development Agency (AFD), the International Centre for Agronomic
Research for Development (CIRAD), the Association of Professionals for Fair Development (GRET), the
International Association of forest communities (COFOR international), the Technical International
Association for Tropical Timber (ATIBT), the public interest group on forest ecosystems (ECOFOR),
the Paris Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences (AgroParisTech), the
Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) and the National Forestry
Office (ONF).

After the conference and at the occasion of Rio+20, the national group on tropical forests
published a collective report to take stock of tropical forests issues, to deepen the consensus of
French stakeholders over these issues and to define new policy guidance in the areas of
conservation and sustainable management of tropical forests in France’s overseas territories,
French forestry development aid and for sustainable consumption patterns. The report examines the
following issues in particular: (i) the model for management planning and certification of the
sustainable management of tropical forests designated for timber production purposes, its successes
and its limitations with regard to protection of biodiversity and benefits for local populations;
(ii) the models for conservation and restoration of tropical forests designated for protection
purposes; (iii) the sharp rise in worldwide demand for energy, food and mined resources against the
backdrop of population expansion, economic growth and globalised trade; (iv) instruments for the
promotion of legality and sustainability through international trade in tropical timber, as well as
the situation of local timber markets and the demand from emerging countries; (v) investing in
tropical forests and financing environmental externalities, with particular attention to the REDD+
mechanism and trust funds for protected areas; (vi) governance issues relating to forest areas,
from the local level – the role of local governments, representation of indigenous and local
communities – to the global level, focusing on the opportunities offered by Rio+20 to address
the current fragmentation of the international governance on forest-related issues; (vii)
priorities in the area of higher education and research and the growing role of remote sensing
tools for protecting tropical forests.